Recently, there has been resurgence of interest in creating the next generation of identification (“ID”) cards that provide greater security then previously issued ID cards. The new ID cards are expected to provide at least the following two features with a high degree of reliability. First, the ID card must be associated with a person who carries the ID card by providing some verifiable biometric values. Second, there must be an easy way to detect counterfeit or altered ID cards.
One approach is to have a photo on the ID card that may be verified as authentic. There are several existing technologies that attempt to address this issue. One technology allows for the digital watermarking of the photo by artificially altering predetermined portions of the photo. The photo is then verified by detecting the existence of the digital watermark. The digital watermarking technology, however, has a disadvantage that a substituted photo with the same watermarking cannot be detected.
Another existing technology is utilization of a photo verification database. However, this technology is costly because it requires specialized verification equipment and a communication channel to the photo verification database. Furthermore, this technology relies on the database being available for a verification procedure at any given time.
There is, therefore, a need for an ID card system that allows for the detection of an alerted photo. At the same, the system should be independent of a database (e.g., self-verifying). Furthermore, the system should be one that may be implemented with relatively inexpensive hardware, and require only a small amount of data to be stored on the ID card. The system should also be robust enough to work despite variations in a verification device's performance and wear and tear on the ID card.